Audiophile: Digital (September 2018)

hfnalbum.pngLove
Forever Changes – 50th Anniversary Edition
Rhino/Elektra RS-565276 9 (four CDs + DVD + LP)

I know this 1967 LA masterpiece has been reissued more times than one can count, but that's because it is one of the finest albums of the rock era. Following Mobile Fidelity's LP and SACD – which have a slight sonic edge – here is the album in stereo and mono on a CD apiece, a third with alternate mixes, a fourth with 45s and outtakes, and a DVD in stereo 96kHz/24-bit, plus a video clip. To justify the 12in case, this includes the stereo album on vinyl. There's not much left to say about this adventurous, sensitive, elegiac treasure, other than that it does more to vindicate the music of the Summer of Love and all that implies, an album in that spirit but one which transcends psychedelic drivel. Truly divine. KK

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Bob Dylan
Trouble No More
Columbia Legacy 88985454672 (two discs)

Volume 13 in The Bootleg Series, and also available in an 8CD + DVD version for irredeemable Dylanologists, this comes from that odd period when the Zim was 'born again', which alienated a lot of his fans. (The non-Christian and lapsed Christian fans at any rate.) Still, he delivered some incredible material, including 'Saved', 'Slow Train' and the enervating 'Gotta Serve Somebody' – think of this as his 'Gospel Period'. Collected from live gigs during 1979-81, here are 30 superbly recorded, more-ish performances which immediately had me wondering if I could afford the £120 for the full set. This also contains a previously unreleased composition. KK

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Phil Ochs
I Ain't Marching Anymore
Man In The Moon MITMCD27

Another CD to keep you in touch with your inner socialist, this all-acoustic release from 1965 is a classic, almost cliché of a 'protest' record of the era. Ochs' second title, it recalls the first two from his slightly younger, fellow-Jewish troubadour, Bob Dylan. This contains 13 originals and only one cover, composed by Ewan MacColl. Ochs was wildly prolific but remains an obscure cult figure. Like Tim Buckley and others re-discovered years after their deaths, he deserves better than to be written off by people like me as another benighted schmuck who adored Che Guevara. This visceral release is impressive for its leanness, and it sounds fantastic. KK

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Linda Ronstadt
Heart Like A Wheel
Mobile Fidelity UDSACD 2190 (stereo SACD)

After the LP [HFN Jul '18], this alternative for those without turntables is a revelation, with sound so close to the analogue offering that you will be astounded. To recap, this 1974 album is arguably the one that made her a superstar for the 1970s-1990s, most notably for her impeccable taste in material, delivered with that crystal-clear and inimitable voice. From rock to country to standards to roots music, she would do it all, but here she emerged as a truly brilliant interpreter of early rock 'n' roll from Buddy Holly and The Everly Brothers, while becoming the chanteuse par excellence of LA. Magnificent. Worth buying just for her version of 'Willin''. KK

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